ZA200809923B - Electric liquid volatile dispenser - Google Patents

Description

oT WO 2006/012249 . | B PCT/US2005/022550 : : a nL ou To

Cg seems

X CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS : [0001] Not applicable. : EE . © STATEMENT OF FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Co -- Jooo3} The present invention relates to a dispenser. of volatile liquids, and more co particularly to a device for evaporating liquid moving up a wick. oo oo

Co [0004] .. Wick-based liquid volatile dispensing systems are known in the art for . dispersing vaporized particles of any number of liquids into the air. ‘Such systems are _ often used in the home with Liquids varying from insect repellents to air fresheners. One _ end of a wick can be submerged in the liquid to be dispersed. The submerged portion of oo ~~ the wick absorbs the liquid, some of which diffuses by capillary or wicking action into the cL | exposed, unsubmerged portion of the wick. The exposed portion of the wick is locally | i : 15 heated, often by means of a ring-shaped heater which fits about the exposed tip of the oo wick. This causes the liquid which has diffused into the exposed portion of the wick to © : evaporate into the surrounding air. Continual application of beat fo the exposed portion . of the wick results in an evaporation process that continues until the liquid isconsumed.

[0005] © The prixary difficulty associated with conventional heated wick liquid oo : : 20 . dispensers is controlling the dispersion of the volatile materials, particularly the rate and oo

Co distance of dispersion of the volatile materials.

[0006] © The evaporation rate of the volatile materials pst be rapid-enough to begin dispersing volatiles shortly after it is activated, and yet provide sustained release over a useful life. The dispersion rate can also vary over time. Upon fist activating the 95 dispenser (after the heater reaches operating temperature), the release rate is typically greater than after several hours of use. Therefore, it is difficult to select components and ’ the appropriate amount of liquid to use for a given application. : : [00071 The evaporated volatile materials usually must emanate through a oo

Co oo relatively large air space, for example, one or more rooms of a house. Extremely localized dispersion limits the effect of the volatile to the immediate area around the :

CC WO0.2006/012249 - © PCT/US2005/022350 - Co oo ~2- - - - dispenser. Sometimes, a portion of the evaporated materials becomes trapped inside the = housing of the dispenser. This can cause it to condense within the housing, and in severe ’

Co cases, can result in liquid dripping out of the bottom of the dispenser. Loss of liquid oo through evaporation when the heater is deactivated is also common. Co | :

[0008] Another problem with electric volatile dispensers pertains to providing 2 : i

CT clear indication to the consumer that the device is operating. This inchides provides - immediate feedback of activation to the consumer even when there is some delay in | : N

N Co dispersion of the volatile, as when the heater is warming up to operating temperature. It oo

A also helps the consumer know that the device, since activated, may be warm. Itcan also | : a 10 indicate to the cofisumer that the device should be unplugged if the liquid has been So oo Co exhausted. | Co Co oo . - [0009] A light is commonly used to provide an in-use indication. The lamp is : : powered when the dispenser is plugged into an electrical outlet and thus illuminates only

Co ~ when the dispenser is powered. Sometimes, the dispenser housing has asmall translucent RB

E 15 window or is partially, or totally, constructed of transhicent material so that the light is.

N visible from outside the housing. The opening or translucent area is usually at the topof the dispenser, which is at the height of the electrical outlet, so it can be viewed readily oo : from a person standing nearby. Having a light opening in the housing is problematic - because liquids and small objects, fingers for example, can enter there. A-separate oo translucent window adds to assembly and translucent components add to the cost of the oD product, Another concern relevant to evaporative dispensers is that the lamp 1s often

Co exposed to the heat source, which makes it apt to burn out more rapidly. : oo [0010] | Accordingly, there is a need for a liquid volatile dispeniser that better : oo - addresses the aforesaid problems. | : h ~~ SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION | oo

[0011] The present invention provides an electrically activated dispenser of liquid i oC

Lo volatiles, such as insecticides and fragrants, with improved dispersion characteristics and | N : a. in-use indication. oo : | oo : (0012) In oneaspect, the dispenser of the present invention includes a housing oe ’ having an outlet opening and an exterior in-use indicator surface. The housing-contains a heater and a lamp, both of which are electrically coupled to an electrical plug mounted to oo : : .. the housing. A container of liquid volatiles can be mounted to the hoiising proximate the oo WO 2006/01 2249 oo PCT/S2005/022350 oo heater to permit evaporation of the liquid volatiles through the outlet opening. When the

Fo heater is energized, the lamp transmits light exterior to the housing onto an in-use - © indicator surface. Co : ) [0013] In more preferred forms, the dispenser housing has an aperture located ] between the lamp and the in-use indicator surface so thatlight can pass directly. to the - exterior of the housing and onto the indicator surface which reflects the light. To achieve : - . maximum visibility for the consumer, the indicator surface preferably projects as a lip or BE

Co ledge out from the front end, opposite the plug end, and faces spadly, preferably in the : same direction as the volatiles are dispensed. Reflective surfacing or coating-can be used -. © 10 toincrease the illumination of the indicator. With the full length of the upper fave of the : i x indicator ledge illuminated, it is readily visible by a person standing neara wall mounted | - ) electrical outlet, which are conventionally located near the floor. The dispenser an be

I - oriented in this position, in which the liquid container is upright and the indicator surface : : faces upward, whether the electrical receptacle has horizontally or vertically spaced :

Lo 15 openings. A special hold-down feature of the housing acts as a strain relief to limit B pulling forces on, and movement of, electrical components (conductors, fuses, etc.) as the electrical plug is oriented or re-oriented duting or after initial assembly. oo . [0014] Preferably, the lamp is a small LED providing Jong life and low power consumption. Regardless of type, the lamp is preferably kept separated from the heater : Co by a dividing wall, preferably depending down from an upper part of the dispenser - a. housing. The wall helps reduce heat-related wear on the lamp and also acts to redirect, by . oo : reflection, light that would otherwise pass to the interior of the housing foward the in-use

So | indicator surface, thus increasing the intensity and efficiency of the illumination on the : indicator surface. oo : :

[0015] In still other preferred forms; a thermal or current/voltage fuse is ° oo preferably mounted in-line with the heater to cut power and keep the device from . overheating. The housing can have one or more holding areas, preferably including ~ outwardly projecting grips located at cooler areas of the disperiser, such as opposite sides : ‘ : of the housing to lateral sides of the electrical plug. The housing can also have inwardly extending projections at the outlet opening. These features help make the dispenser more ’ user friendly by reducing the likelihood of the user touching hot surfaces.

CO WO 2006012249 | So IE PCT/US2005/022550

Ce + 2008/09023

[0016] Preferably, the liquid volatiles are contained in a container, such as a : threaded-necked bottle, with a wick having a submerged end and an opposite exposed : : end. The exposed end can be disposed in the center opening of a ring heater. Preferably, oo the open center of the heater has a sectional area no greater than that of the outlet ) : 5 opening. More preferably, the outlet opening is located near the heater, for example no. : more than 5 mm apart, with an air space therebetween. Still more preferably, the outlet

CL | "opening is funnel shaped, with an outer opening and an inner opening sized smaller than 0 "the outer opening. “The inner opening can be defined by an upturned lip, or inner oo

SL peripheral wall, extending toward the outer opening, preferably angling in the direction -

S10 from the inner opening to the outer opening and radially inwardly at an angle between 5 .

BE and 90 degrees from horizontal. Co | oo Co | o a [0017] | The dispenser breathes by sonting air up from its underside around the . E oo liquid volatile container. Vertical ducts are provided around the container to better © - - _ facilitate this. Air can then flow around the container and up along the wick and through : the center of the ring heater. The cooler air moving from the bottom of the dispenser oo

N warms as it nears the heater and the lighter, warmer air, carrying the evaporated volatile, RE - moves quickly up through the interior of the dispenser and out the outlet opening. The EE . oo funneled configuration of the outlet opening, and particularly the upturned lip, helps . N a Co create a plume of the volatile carrying air which rises up in acolumn above the dispenser ~~ ) . 20 before dispersing. Also, the outlet is located close to the heater and has an opening area Co ; ~~ that isthe same as or larger than the open center of the heater 50 that most, if not all, of Co oo oo the volatile carrying air passes directly out of the outlet, rather than getting trapped inside

Co the housing. The combined effect of the air routing as well as the outlet configuration oo - and its relatively close spaced relation to the heater is more effective, wider-dispersion of Co . 25 the active ingredient. E ST ~ [0018] In another aspect, the present invention provides a plug-in dispenser of liquid volatiles of the _— having a heater for evaporating liquid volatiles. The dispenser has a Jamp interior to a housing of the dispenser which when energized transmits light to oo CC oo an exterior of the housing and incident with an exterior in-use indicator surface of the : 30 housing to illuminate the in-use indicator so it is readily visible froma viewing side ofthe . dispenser. oo

SE ‘WO 2006/012249 So | | © PCT/US2005/022550 ~5- oo

[0019] Tn another aspect, the invention provides an electric liquid volatile oo dispenser having a housing which defines holding areas at opposite sides of the housing. ~~ .The holding areas can include raised ribs extending out from the housing. The location and raised nature of the ribs make them cooler to touch than other places on the dispenser - | oo nearer the heater. And, the ribs present an intuitively apparent place to grasp the oo dispenser, particularly given their location at the lateral sides of the housing. oo

[0020] Another aspect of the invention pertains to the electrical plug being | oo : mountable to the housing in at least two angular orientations. The housing preferably defines a hold down for fixing the position of electrical components coupled to the plug, such as conductors and a-power cut off fuse. This not only provides for strain reliefof the oo conductor, but also maintains consistent spacing of the fuse from the heater, whichis - oo _ particularly important when a temperature cut off fuse is used to ensure that it trips when Lo : expected. 3 - . Co © [0021] Still another aspect of the invention pertains to the outlet opening having a E : : 15 sectional area at least as large as that of the open center of the ring heater. This is to So E

IE bitter evacuate the volatized active out from the dispenser housing. The outlet opening is : preferably located directly above the wick and has a wall angling inwardly and upwardly in the direction away from the heater at an angle between 5 and 90 degrees from horizontal. This assists in the formation of a column-like plume of active laden air, which canTise above the dispenser before emanating through the ambient air, thereby providing for improved dispersion of the actives. ' -. 3 oo [0022] This brief summary of the invention has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be generally wiiderstood. However, this summary should notbe

E construed to Limit the invention. The foregoing and other objects, aspects, features and oo . 25 advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. oo : oo | BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG.1is a perspective view of the electric volatile dispenser of the present invention; :

E © [0024] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, ET : [0025) © FIG.3isan exploded perspective view thereof;

Rh WO 2006/012249 | PCT/US2005/022350

[0026] FIG. 4 1s a view looking down from the inside of the dispenser; oo N [0027] FIG. 5 is bottom plan view of the dispense without the liquid volatile C7 . "container shown; : oo . [0028] = FIG.6isanend sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4; " oo 5 [0029] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4; )

[0030] FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating the air flow pattern ~~. around the wick and outlet afeas of the dispenser, ) . | oo

[0031] FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 4 showing an oo

Le - electrical plug in a horizontal orientation; oo oT : :

[0032] . FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the plug rotated to a vertical

EE _ orientation; and oo a oo : SL N co . [0033] FIG. 1lisa view similar to FIG. 8 albeit with an angled wall at the outlet opening Co oo a oo DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

C15. 10034] | Figures 1-3 illustrate a preferred embodiment of an electric volatile g dispenser 20 according to the present invention. Generally, the dispenser 20 has a compact housing 22 mounting an electrical plug 24 at one end and a bottle of liquid a - volatiles 26 at its underside. The bottle of liquid volatiles 26 is enclosed.except for a

I wick 28 which bas one end submerged in the liquid inside the bottle and the other-end oo extending to the outside of the bottle. The housing 22 contains a heater 30, an LED lamp 32anda power-out off fuse 34, all of which are electrically-coupled to the plug 24 via

SA | conductor leads running from the metal prongs of the plug 24. :

Co E [0035] The liquid includes a heat activatable chemical ingredient, preferably an . oo insecticide. However, various insect control chemicals, fragrances, disinfectants, - sanitizing agents or other heat-activated chemicals can also be used. The bottle 1s. preferably enclosed by a cap that is fit onto a threaded neck section which removably threads into a cavity at the underside of the housing 22. The cap has a centered opening that seals against the wick 28 and retains it in an upright position. : : [0036] The wick 28 can be formed of any conventional materials; such as porous ceramics, bonded fibers, sintered plastics. The shaft of the wick can have aconductive : and/or impermeable outer coating used to affect the rate of dispersion and to provide : more uniform heat distribution. Suitable materials for the outer<oating include plastics, oo

C0 WO0'2006/012249 | : PCT/US2005/022350 BE paints, or various types of solid sleeving including aluminum, copper and high | _

I density/temperature plastics. U.S. patent 5,647,053 discloses such preferred wick ~~ . constructions. I oo oo oo }

[0037] The heater 30 can also be any conventional heating device, however, a : 5 preferably it contains a positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) thermistor which uses its oT inherent self-regulating material properties to maintain and an essentiallyconstant + temperature over a wide range of voltage and heat dissipation-conditions. "Such a PTC

Co heater is preferably in aring configuration with an open center in which the exposed } oo

IE | portion of the wick 28 can fit to provide essentially uniform heating of the entire exposed SU R portion of the wick 28. U.S. patent 6,411,776 discloses one such suitable PTC heater oo

BE device. The heater should be able to provide generally consistent operating temperature : sufficient to vaporize the liquid volatiles, which typically are selected to have activation

Co temperatures between 80 and 150°C. ) | Co 0038] : Should an excessive temperature or over-current/over-voltage situation © 15 occur, internal components of the heater could permanently or temporarily open the —_— circuit to cut power to the heater. However, the present dispenser 20 preferably uses the : _ aforementioned-fuse 34, placed in series with the heater 30, to permanently open the ‘heater circuit in the vent of an overload situation, and thereby disable the dispenser 20.

So The fuse 34 can either be a fusible resistor responsive to current and voltage or a thermal © 20 - cut-off fuse responsive to temperature. -Such thermal cut-off fuses are well known in the

NE Lo art, and U.S. patent 5,796,914 discloses their use for an electric fuinigation device. The ) entire disclosure of this, and all of the aforementioned patents, are hereby incorporated by - reference as though fully set forth herein. . . [0039] The heater 30 is coupled to power by the plug 24, whichtan have any } prong configuration meeting the standard of the United States or any other country. As . shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the entire plug 24 unit can be mounted in the housing 22 in any angular orientation, however, it is preferably designed to mount in one of two orientations in which the prongs are either spaced apart horizontally or vertically. A<icularend on the body of the plug 24 has a circumferential groove to facilitate such positioning. : 30 [0040] Having described the basic features of the dispenser 20, its general :

Co operation will now be described briefly. With the plug 24 fit into a standard electrical oo receptacle (not shown), the heater 30 warms the air surrounding the exposed portion of

CWO 20060012249 © PCT/US2005/022350 oo oo -8- | ’ the wick 28, and thus the wick 28 itself. Liquid volatile travels up the wick 28, by the. :

C0 fore of capillary or “wicking” action, and volatizes as its temperature is elevated. The : ) "heated air also tends to create a chimney effect to draw the volatile containing air up ~ through the housing 22 and expel it out through an outlet opening 36 at the top of the oT housing 22 so that the volatile can emanate through the room. ‘While the heater 30 is energized, the lamp 32 is illuminated to indicate that the dispenser is activated. B + Depending on the type of fase employed, the fuse 34-will open the circuit to the heater 28 a - in the event the operating temperature, current or voltage rises 100 high. | :

Ea Co [0041] . ; The dispenser 20 of the present invention thus operates in a manner similar Co a 10 to other such devices. However, it has several features which provide for improved . | to functionality, particularly with regard to dispersion of the volatiles and user-friendliness. .

IE Many of these features are afforded by the unique construction of the housing 22.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 22 is formed of upper 40 and lower 42 IE : shells, preferably molded ofa suitable plastic resin. The upper shell 40 overlaps the oo 15 lower shell 42 at the seam {see eq. FIG. 6), which helps keep liquids or other E oo

Co oo contaminants from falling into the housing 22. The sides of the lower shell 42 have a © series of vertically spaced raised ribs 44 defining holding areas. Since the holding areas oo are spaced from the heater 30 and the ribs 44 project outward from the flat surfaces of the - Coe housing 22, they provide a cooler area for the user to grasp the dispenser 20, forexample oo : 20 when unplugging it from the electrical receptacle. The arrangement and opposite side oo locations of the ribs 44 visually indicate to the user that the dispenser 20 should be oo oo handled in those areas. The user will likely intuitively grasp the dispenser 20 at the ribs Co oo 44, rather than at other warmer areas, and thus reduce the likelihood of encountering high 0 _— temperatures. Co SE : SL

[0043] - The inside of the housing 22 includes ribbing and other:generally vertically extending structures used to connect the two shells and support the internal . components, namely the heater 30, lamp 32 and fuse 34. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower shell 42 defines an annular support 46 on which the heater 30 sits. Spring clips 48 secure the heater 30 in place, as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper-40 and lower oo © 30 42 shells also have opposing structures 50 and 52 that act as a hold-down and strain relief for the conductor to which the fuse 34 is connected. The lower structure 52 has a small groove or notch 54 at its upper end that receives the-conductor and the upper structure’>0 oo | WO 2006/012249 : oo PCT/US2005/022550 : oo _9- | KE : clamps down on the conductor slightly fo fix its position and also take up pulling foroes } : on the conductor. This is particularly useful when the orientation of the plug 24 is being : set or changed. Preferably, the conductor is clamped adjacent the fuse 34 to fix its position. This is important when the fuse 34 is a temperature cut-off type fuse so that

Cs during assembly the fuse maintains d consistent distance from the heater. This helps ensure that the fuse will realize relatively consistent temperatures during normal

So operation, and thus trip only when an actual over-temperature condition arises. If the fuse i. is too close to the heater, it may trip the circuit before the maximum temperature was reached, and conversely, if it is t00 far from the heater it may not trip when needed. CL

[0044] The upper 40 shell also has downwardly extending interior walls 60 that oo define a light chamber 62 at the end of the housing 22 opposite the plug 24. These walls - - ~ provide a number of benefits. Specifically, they assist in positioning the lamp 32, thereby

E providing consistently located illumination. They shield the lamp 32 from the heater 30, a thereby reducing heat-related aging: And, they reflect light that would otherwise be lost | oo oo : 15 inside the housing 22, fo the outside of the housing 2 where it can be seen by the user. oo ’ - [0045] In particular, the light is directed onto a special in-use indicator 70, which provides the user indication that the dispenser 20 is active. This nage indicator 70 isa oo ~ Cor flat, upward facing exterior surface of the housing 22 that projects out from the-end of the housing lower shell 42 opposite the plug 24 to form a lip or ledge structure. The upward : "20 facing surface is located adjacent to a very narrow lateral slit or aperture 72 {see FIG. 7) © between the housing shells. The aperture 72 permits light from the lamp 32 to be

CL transmitted unobstructed to outside the housing 22 and reflected off of the exterior oo _ oo + surface of the in-use indicator 70. The illumination of the rather broad exterior in-use : indicator 70 provides a highly visible notification to the user that the dispenser 201s on. EE

Because the aperture 72 is narrow and is located at a vertical end of the housing 22.(rather : than at the top) there is less opportunity for items to enter into the housing 22. ~ 10046] Since the lamp 32 is coupled to the plug 24 in series with the heater 30, it ~~ will illuminate only when the heater 30 is active. This can be helpful at initial start-up so © that the user knows the device is working as the heater is warming to operating © 30 temperature before the volatile is activated. This can prevent the user from incorrectly believing that the dispenser is defective. It can also remind them to unplug the dispense ~~

PE WO 20060012249 | h © PCT/US2005/022350 oo 3 | | LL _10- : oo after the volatiles have been exhausted to avoid unnecessarily energizing the heater. It ~ also warns the user that there may be hot surfaces to avoid. : ) . [0047): . As mentioned, the dispenser 20 has several features which provide for - more effective dispersion of the volatile materials. Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the lower ] - 5 shell 42 of the housing 22 forms three vertical channels or air ducts 80 spaced around and oo opening at the cavity where the bottle of volatiles 26 mounts to the housing 22. When the oo oo + bottle of volatiles 26 is fully mounted into the housing 22 as shown in FIGS. 6and 7,2 oo : small air gap exists between the upper part of the bottle and the housing 22 so that air can ) oe flow into the vertical air ducts 80. The air ducts 80 carry the air op into the housing along co ~~ 10 side the neck of the bottle. From there, the air can flow up and inwardly alongside the SERRE oo exposed part of the wick 28, through the center of the heater 30 and then on through the

Co outlet opening 36. The air ducts 80 thus provide for more flow volume and allow air to EE flow alongside the wick where it can pick up the volatile and carry it up through the outlet RE opening 36. : A : 15 [0048] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6-8, the outlet opening 36 is located at the top of - + the housing upper shell 40 directly (vertically) above the wick 28-and thecenter opening os . - of the heater 30. The outlet opening 36 is. defined by a somewhat funnel:shaped recessed : . inner wall effectively defining an inner opening and a larger outer-{or upper) opening.

I Four small prongs 90 extend radially inward at the lower part of the opening sufficient to keep a finger from contacting the heater 30. The sectional area of the outlet opening 36 is Co } the smallest at the bottom. The minimum sectional ‘area of the outlet opening 36 is So : - Co designed to be at least that of the center opening of the heater 30, and as mentioned, 0 be Co vertically aligned therewith. This helps ensure that the warm, volatile laden air rising } from around the wick 28 passes out of the housing 22 without being trapped under the” : oo upper shell 40, which could unduly heat the housing 22 or cause condensation inside the housing 22. Inthe embodiment shown with the prongs 90, the bottom of the outlet : : opening 36 is actually sized larger than that at the center of the heater 30, to _ accommodate the space occupied by the prongs 90, however, the overall sectional area of oo the outlet opening 36 is at least that of the heater opening. In one preferred embodiment, ) the heater opening is about 1 centimeter (“cm”) in diameter, and the outlet opening is oo about 1.2 cm across at the bottom, with the distance between opposite prongs being about oo 0.8 cm. Also, it is important for the bottom of the outlet opening 36 to be spaced wozoosoizzde CL © PCT/US2005/022350 oo ‘somewhat from the top of the heater 30. This is to allow air flow therebetween {see FIG. oo : 6) to aid in dispersion as well as to keep the upper shell 40 from realizing excessively high temperatures, which in this case is preferably no more than 80°T. A distance of less ) B than 10 mm is likely to be sufficient for most suitable PTC heaters, preferably itisno more than 5 mm, and even more preferably it is about 3 mm. - | | oo - | 10049] "As shown in FIG. 8, the configuration, sizing and spacing of the outlet opening 36 and heater/wick arrangement (along with the air ducts 80) provides for oo improved dispersion of the volatized actives. Air flow rising from the bottom of the dispenser up through the housing 22 will flow up along the wick 28 through the venter of - the heater 30 as well as around and above the heater 30. This will effect a primarily | 3 upward and inward air flow pattern tending to centralize and elevate the warm active ~~ ©. ER : so laden air up through the outlet opening 36. The column-like plume of air passing through the outlet opening 36 will encounter about its periphery cooler ambient air that makes its oo ) way around the funneled contour of the outlet opening 36 before being turned back generally in the direction it came by the force of the plume of exiting air, This helps to } oo extend the column like flow pattern to above the dispenser, thereby creating a more :

Co forceful and elevated volatized air stream, and thus more effective dispersion of the . actives. oo : | | .

[0050] Figure 11 shows another view similar to FIG. 8 in which the outlet opening includes a frusto-conical wall section 100 that tapers radial inward in the upward . ©. direction away from the heater. This wall 100 helps to better, and more consistently, tun oo

Co back the ambient air passing down into the funnel of the outlet opening 36, thereby IE . forming an even more column-like plume of air able to rise even higher above the BE : . +. dispenser. The wall 100 extends about 45 degrees from horizontal in the depicted Co embodiment, however, this can vary depending on the application, for-example an angle between 5 and 90 degrees from horizontal is envisioned to be suitable to achieve the i | desired effect in most circumstances. The angled wall could be segmented, rather than g : continuous fhrough 360 degrees. Also, like before, a minimum outlet opening size is "ou maintained at or greater than the opening of the heater, and small prongs-can be added to = oo 30 keep out fingers and the hike. oC } [0051] Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been’ a. described in detail, it will be understood that this description is merely for purposes of

0 | WO 2006/012249 LL oo CC PCT/US2005022350 : oo Co oo -12- EEE : illustration. Various modifications of, and equivalent structures corresponding to, the oo oe disclosed aspects of the preferred embodiment in addition to those described above may ~ ) be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the following | : - claims. Accordingly, the scope of the invention defined by the following claims should : ) be accorded the broadest reasonable interpretation 50 as to encompass such modifications

I and equivalent structures. oo : _ © INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY CL oo [0052] "The invention provides an electric dispenser of volatile liquids, such as EE a insecticides, fragrants and the like, with improved volatile dispersion characteristics and oo Co.

Co 10 in-use indication. Co | E | Co _ 5

Claims (5)

cb. a

1. An electrically activated dispenser of liquid volatiles, comprising; means to mount a container of liquid volatiles having a wick with an exposed end and an end submerged in the liquid volatiles; ) a heater positionable near the exposed end of the wick of a container so mounted; and a housing that receives a container so mounted and. in which the heater is mounted, the : housing having an outlet opening for expelling the volatiles from the wick; : wherein the outlet opening is defined by a funnel-shaped recessed inner wall defining an inner opening and a larger upper opening and further includes a frusto-conical wall section tapering inward in the upward direction configured such that ambient air passing down into the funnel of the outlet opening is turned back.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein wall section is an extension of the funnel.

-3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the wall section angles inwardly at an angle : between 5 and 90 degrees from horizontal. | . a Co

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the wall section defines an opening sized at least as large as an opening in the heater. : -

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the outlet opening defines an outer opening and ‘an inner opening sized smaller than the outer opening. : DATED THIS 20TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2008 s TSHER | | | | oo CANTS PATENT ATTORNEYS